wonders and mini-miracles

My most recent post strongly implied two things:

1. I'm done buying camera lenses/gear for the next several months
2. I'm not quite satisfied with the setup I have - but it'll do just fine

So what comes up online but a trade option: DA Limited lenses for DA* zooms.  There's the Answer!

Don't get me wrong, the DA* 50-135 is quite excellent and among the best lenses I've owned.  Also on that list are the DA 40 and 70mm Limiteds.  I had been seeking a DA15 (or 14mm) to go wider than my K24, but settled on the 10-17 fisheye instead.  I also admitted that I'd prefer the 40 and 70 Limiteds to my 50mm f/2.  I cannot take all four DA primes for my 50-135 so I settled for an offer of the 15 and 40..and it seems to have done the job.

What does this adjustment mean?  Plenty:

• the 55-300 takes over as my sole telezoom.. the DA* was being left behind anyway so I'll be OK
• the prime set just became 15-24-40 (..135..400), a well-spaced & fun setup (esp. with the 55-300)
• the 10-17 fish-eye just became expendable if the 15 joins my bag.  Money back, yay!

So my kit is more satisfactory and I didn't violate the no-buying-lenses promise.  I can even pay a bill or two with the departure of the 10-17.  It would be great fun to keep, but really the 15mm is wider than I ever expect to need and saves some grams and cubic centimeters.

Slightly more complicated is the DA17-70.  It came into my life for two-plus reasons: it was insanely on sale, it filled the wide-midrange nicely and its filter size matched the 50-135.  Reason three is gone, and the primes look so much better now.. and the 18-55wr is really not that bad of a zoom option (and is far less bulky).  Hmmm.. I believe that two zooms just reached the boarding platform!

The one loss is weather sealing, which for now doesn't matter much since the K-r body has no protection.  The 18-55WR is still here in any case, so I won't weep long.  Bad idea anyway, weeping on non-WR gear..

So here is kit #42a, my Best Kit Ever*

DA15 - SMC24 - DA40 - DAL 55-300

backups: DA18-55wr, smcA50, smcM135, Vivitar 35-105, Hanimar 400mm

*I'm either lying or am myself misled; such a thing is entirely mythical!  Still, it's a mighty good kit..